Plasmid transduction in Streptococcus thermophilus

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Abstract
Streptococcus thermophilus is a common dairy starter for which very few genetic exchange systems have been described. Here we report plasmid transduction by ϕ 17 α and ϕ56α, two virulent phages of industrial yogurt starter strains. Several replicons could be transduced, independently of their size, with efficiencies which are high enough to allow gene transfer from a transformable intermediary strain of S. thermophilus to other hosts of the bacteriophages studied.